2014 Games Star Burton Picks Up MBE

Scotland's flag bearer at last year's Commonwealth Games was among about 70 people who have had their achievements recognised by receiving honours from the Queen.

Gold medallist Euan Burton was made an MBE for services to judo during an investiture ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Academics, politicians and people from the world of business today also collected awards while dozens of others were recognised for their various contributions to the community.

The ceremony comes after they were named in recent honours lists which saw Glasgow's successful staging of the Commonwealth Games last summer result in a number of figures connected to the event being included.

Leading the way, as he did during the Games, is judoka Burton, who claimed gold for his country in the under-100kg division.

Speaking after the ceremony, he said: "It's fantastic. It's a glorious day - which we don't get very often in Scotland - and it's a glorious day for the recipients of all the awards.

"For me personally, it's a great end to my career. I retired after the Commonwealth Games so to be recognised in this way for the contribution I've made in the sport of judo, which I love, is just an amazing way to cap it all off.

"While we were waiting in the room to be taken through to be given our awards, I think everyone was speaking about how special it was that it was actually the Queen who was giving out today's awards.''

From the political world, Sue Bruce, chief executive of Edinburgh City Council, received a damehood along with former Labour MP Anne McGuire.

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson picked up a CBE for services to local government and the community.

He said: "It's wonderful - a real happy occasion to receive this, and in particular that it was the Queen herself who did the honours, that's a real treat.

"The honour I have received reflects well on the whole of Glasgow and the achievements of the city are there for all to see.

"During the Commonwealth Games we were at our absolute best - we put on the best Games that there have ever been and the people of Glasgow stole the show, so this honour is actually being given, I believe, to the people of Glasgow.''

In other categories, historian Professor Tom Devine received a knighthood and Faith Liddell, director of Festivals Edinburgh, collected an OBE for services to the arts.

Marie Macklin, chief executive of The Klin Group, an entrepreneurial company which works towards economic and social transformation through property development projects, scooped a CBE.

David Gow, the inventor of the i-Limb prosthetic hand, was also given a CBE.

The latest statistics from admissions body Ucas, published as pupils south of the border received exam results on Thursday, outline that 16.5% of 18-year-old applicants from England accepted to university were from the poorest areas.